By ALLIE VUGRINCIC

Staff writer

YOUNGSTOWN — Participants in the Youngstown CROP Hunger Walk took to the sidewalks around Wick Park and along Fifth Avenue on Sunday afternoon with a goal of creating a world where no one must go hungry.

The walk, aimed at raising money to “end hunger one step at a time” this year celebrates its 50th year nationally. The movement began in the communities of York, Pa., and Bismark, N.D., said event organizer Becky Gifford. The walk has since expanded to more than 900 communities, including long-time participant Youngstown.

“Today, we in the Mahoning Valley walk in solidarity with those who have to walk miles for food and water, and we walk to raise awareness and funds to end hunger locally, nationally, and internationally,” said Gifford during a sendoff of walkers from Richard Brown Memorial United Methodist Church.

Gifford said more than 150 participants from 15 area churches and organizations took part in the effort, which is locally organized by the Mahoning Valley Association of Churches.

Rick Shale and Jean Montgomery

have been walking in the Youngstown CROP Hunger walk for more than 30 years, they said. They began walking with their former church, which merged and became part of Disciples Christian Church in Boardman — and they carried the tradition over to their new church.

Beth Pass, pastor of Disciples Christian, said the walk is just one of the church’s services, but is important because feeding people is what churches do.

“If we’re really interested in feeding people, we do it in all ways, feed their souls, feed their bodies and their minds,” Pass said.

Montgomery said part of the reason she is committed to walking each year is that 25 percent of the funds raised in the event remain local, benefiting Protestant Family Service of the Greater Youngstown area. She said that 25 percent — sometimes totally around $2,000 — is an important part of the organization’s funding.

Montgomery, who keeps the books for Protestant Family Service, said though in recent years the number of walkers have dwindled, the money coming in has stayed the same, if not increased — an occurrence she attributes to the addition of online donations.

Shale said the distance of the walk has also changed, dropping from about five miles to the option of walking between one and three. Walkers could choose between two routes — one which circled a mile around Wick Park, or a three-mile fixed route down Fifth Avenue to Crandall Avenue.

“This is good because you can go as few or as many miles as you want if you stay on this route,” Shale said. He said the option accommodated the wide age-range of walkers present, including a handful of four-legged walkers.

On a national level, CROP walkers raise more than $9 million annually and help support more than 1,500 food pantries and soup kitchens.

avugrincic@tribtoday.com